[Courtesy of Warner Bros]

Movie Review: Joker: Folie à Deux

07:00 October 07, 2024
By: Fritz Esker

Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)

Director and co-writer Todd Phillips follows up his Oscar-winning 2019 blockbuster Joker with the flawed but daring musical Joker: Folie à Deux.

Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is in a mental hospital after the events of the first film and awaiting trial for several counts of murder. He develops a connection with fellow mental patient Lee (Lady Gaga). Arthur, revealed to have an active fantasy life in the first movie, starts constructing musical numbers in his head with his new paramour.

While Phillips does not play it safe, that does not mean the film is flawlessly executed. It rambles a bit (139-minute running time) and sometimes spends a little too much time rehashing the events of the first film. There are also a few moments in the courtroom that strain credulity, to put it mildly.

However, there's a lot that's either admirable or interesting about the film. Phoenix, who won an Oscar his first time in the role, remains terrific. He is utterly convincing as a man who has been completely hollowed out by life, mental illness, and his own choices. Hildur Guodnadóttir also won an Oscar for her score in the first film, and her work is excellent here, too. Brendan Gleeson also does a good job of capturing the smiling malevolence of the chief guard at the mental institution.

There is also some interesting meta commentary about the sometimes toxic nature of fandom when Arthur meets and is unsettled by some of his fans. The movie also acknowledges the effects violence has on survivors. Original cast members Zazie Beetz and Leigh Gill are also affecting in their courtroom scenes.

It's unclear what audiences will make of this. Phillips and Phoenix's Joker is not like Burton or Nolan's Joker. He's fundamentally a pathetic (if still dangerous) figure. He is not a supervillain or mastermind here. Audiences may run out of patience waiting for a more conventional superhero story to emerge. Phillips may not get a chance to make another film in this series, but if he doesn't, at least he can say he went out swinging.

Sign Up!

FOR THE INSIDE SCOOP ON DINING, MUSIC, ENTERTAINMENT, THE ARTS & MORE!